An Historic Three-Day Inauguration Weekend at Stevens

10/18/2011

October 13 to 15, 2011, was an historic weekend for Stevens Institute of Technology, ushering in a new era of leadership with the inauguration of Dr. Nariman Farvardin as the seventh president of the university. The entire Stevens community of faculty, staff, alumni, students, families and friends officially welcomed Dr. Farvardin with a series of academic, ceremonial and celebratory events to commemorate the occasion.

The Student Research Colloquium opened the festivities, on October 13 showcasing undergraduate and doctoral students' summer research findings from the Stevens scholars program, the Technogenesis Summer Scholars Research Program and our Innovation & Doctoral Fellowship Program. An impressive display of 88 undergraduate research projects adorned the atrium in the Babbio Center. Students and faculty were on hand to present the research and engage with the community.

That event was followed by a special reception for graduate students to meet Dr. Farvardin.

Inauguration events continued the morning of October 14 with an Academic Colloquium, “Excellence Through Innovation,” featuring the Honorable Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy, and Dr. Jeong Kim, Executive Vice President of Alcatel-Lucent and President of Bell Labs as guest speakers. Stevens Professors Ron Besser and Frank Fisher also co-presented a brief history of innovation at Stevens and highlighted current research initiatives. A round-table discussion including all of the presenters followed.

The weekend’s main event occurred the afternoon of October 14 with the official installation of Dr. Farvardin as Stevens president. One thousand well-wishers and distinguished guests, including The Honorable Kim Guadagno, Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey and The Honorable Dawn Zimmer, Mayor of Hoboken, officially welcomed President Farvardin to campus. They were joined in speaking by Lawrence Babbio, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. George Korfiatis, Stevens Provost, Dr. Dilhan Kalyon, Chairman of the Faculty Council, Dr. Jeong Kim, Executive Vice President of Alcatel-Lucent and President of Bell Labs and Corporate Strategy, Richard Sanchez, Student and Mark LaRosa, President of the Stevens Alumni Association.

The ceremony began with a complete academic processional and included performances by the Stevens Inaugural Orchestra and Choir and renowned Soprano Carmen Balthrop.

Immediately following the ceremony, the entire Stevens community greeted Dr. Farvardin, his family and invited guests at the Babbio Center atrium for a reception which included a live jazz band.

The festivities concluded on October 15 with homecoming activities on campus and the inaugural gala in the evening. Five alumni were inducted to the Stevens Athletics Hall of Fame during a brunch on campus. Other on-campus activities commemorating homecoming included a community barbecue, men and women’s soccer and swimming, cross country, field hockey and women’s volleyball, and Greek open houses, as well as a reception for alumni and freshman parents in the afternoon.